116 SIGNS AND SEASONS 



dollar was put upon a tree twelve rods off, the con- 

 testants to fire three shots each offhand. Uncle 

 Nathan's first bullet barely missed the mark, but 

 the other two were planted well into it. Then the 

 great rifleman took his turn, and missed every time. 



"By hemp!" said Uncle Nathan, "I was sorry 



I shot so well, Mr. took it so to heart; and 



I had used his own rifle, too. He did not get over 

 it for a week." 



But far more ignominious was the failure of Mr. 

 Bull's Eye when he saw his first bear. They were 

 paddling slowly and silently down Dead E-iver, 

 when the guide heard a slight noise in the bushes 

 just behind a little bend. He whispered to the 

 rifleman, who sat kneeling in the bow of the boat, 

 to take his rifle. But instead of doing so, he picked 

 up his two- barreled shotgun. As they turned the 

 point, there stood a bear not twenty yards away, 

 drinking from the stream. Uncle Nathan held the 

 canoe, while the man who had come so far in quest 

 of this very game was trying to lay down his shot- 

 gun and pick up his rifle. "His hand moved like 

 the hand of a clock," said Uncle Nathan, "and I 

 could hardly keep my seat. I knew the bear would 

 see us in a moment more and run." Instead of 

 laying his gun by his side, where it belonged, he 

 reached it across in front of him, and laid it upon 

 his rifle, and in trying to get the latter from under 

 it a noise was made; the bear heard it and raised 

 his head. Still there was time, for as the bear 

 sprang into the woods he stopped and looked back, 



